Phantom Road had a strong debut issue with Jeff Lemire, Gabriel Walta, and Jordie Bellaire introducing us into a mysterious world. This mysterious world, where two normal people found themselves, had a lot of cool sci-fi horror elements. The mystery around how Dom and Birdie found themselves in such a horrifying world got me hooked. Is the follow-up issue just as strong as the debut by Lemire, Walta, and Bellaire? Find out with our advance review of Phantom Road #2.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Gabriel H. Walta
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Steve Wands
SOLICITATION
“Dom is a long-haul truck driver who finds himself on a strange highway trip after he pulls an unusual artifact from the wreckage of a car crash along with his new companion, Birdie. Figuring out where they are is the first mystery…figuring out how to get out painlessly is the second.” – Image Comics
REVIEW
After the first issue focused on the lonely road that one of our two lead characters, Dom, is on thanks to his career as a long-haul truck driver Phantom Road #2 changes things up. Not only with Dom’s fellow co-lead Birdie but we get a new character that provides us with much-needed insight. In having three different characters interacting with one another Phantom Road immediately fixes the one problem that the first issue had.
There was only so far Dom could take the story alone. The character’s hard-ass truck driver personality alone is not enough to keep the reader from possibly losing interest in the story in a quick fashion. By having both Birdie and a third character prominently featured there is a much greater balance to the story of Phantom Road #2. Throughout this issue, you get a much better sense of both Dom’s and Birdie’s personalities through the way they interact. In the process, they create two perspectives of how the reader takes in what is discovered about the mysterious setting Dom and Birdie find themselves.
Then there is the new character that Dom and Birdie meet that provides some context into the world of Phantom Road. With this new character’s debut, Lemire is able to focus even more on his strength of developing characters through their interactions with each other. Dom, Birdie, and this guy speak in ways that give a natural flow to the conversation. Each character has their own personality with how bounce off each other.
In the process of this meeting Dom and Birdie learn things that are presented in such a top-level way that you can’t fault them for how they react. The information they are given is enough to get there is a much bigger mystery to uncover. There is so much left out that you are left wanting to see Dom and Birdie’s journey through to continue reading the series.
The artwork in Phantom Road #2 is more of a mixed bag. Gabriel Walta’s artwork is at its best when blending both the real and mysterious worlds together. Both Dom and Birdie stand out more when interacting when the mystery world is the focus. When the setting is more grounded with regular humans interacting with one another Walta’s artwork is much rougher. With Phantom Road #2 falling on the latter, the artwork is rough. Hopefully, as Phantom Road goes on the art gets more refined or Walt gets more of a chance to draw the mysterious setting and the resident there more to contrast with regular human characters.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Phantom Road #2 is a great follow-up to the impressive debut issue of the series. Jeff Lemire builds greater investment in series leads, Dom and Birdie, journey through strong character interactions. These interactions build a mystery that leaves you wanting to continue reading to find out what is going on.
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 6 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 7.5 Night Girls out of 10